Touch control system for use with or having a three-dimensionally curved touch surface
First Claim
1. In a touch control system for a cathode ray tube, display panel or other touch-controlled device which is capable of recognizing touch positions along a predetermined coordinate axis on a three dimensionally curved touch surface, the apparatus comprising:
- a substrate comprising a sector of a three dimensionally curved surface having a touch surface capable of propagating surface acoustic waves such that a touch on said surface causes a perturbation of a surface wave propagating through the region of the touch;
input surface wave transducer means mechanically and acoustically coupled to said touch surface of said substrate and useful when excited for launching a burst of surface acoustic waves on said touch surface along a first path which represents a great circle on said surface; and
means including an array of surface wave reflective elements disposed in or on said touch surface of said substrate along said first path for directing wave components derived from said burst across said touch surface of said substrate in a progression of transverse paths intersecting said coordinate axis.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for use in a touch control system for a cathode ray tube, display panel or other touch-controlled device which is capable of recognizing touch positions along a predetermined coordinate axis on a curved touch surface comprises a substrate comprising a sector of a three dimensionally curved surface having a touch surface capable of propagating surface acoustic waves such that a touch on that surface causes a perturbation of a surface wave propagating through the region of the touch. An input surface wave transducer mechanically and acoustically coupled to the touch surface of the substrate, upon excitation launches a burst of surface acoustic waves on the touch surface along a first path which represents a great circle on that surface. The apparatus also includes an array of surface wave reflective elements which are disposed in or on the touch surface of the substrate along the aforesaid first path for directing wave components derived from the burst across the touch surface of the substrate in a progression of transverse paths which intersect the coordinate axis of that surface.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. In a touch control system for a cathode ray tube, display panel or other touch-controlled device which is capable of recognizing touch positions along a predetermined coordinate axis on a three dimensionally curved touch surface, the apparatus comprising:
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a substrate comprising a sector of a three dimensionally curved surface having a touch surface capable of propagating surface acoustic waves such that a touch on said surface causes a perturbation of a surface wave propagating through the region of the touch; input surface wave transducer means mechanically and acoustically coupled to said touch surface of said substrate and useful when excited for launching a burst of surface acoustic waves on said touch surface along a first path which represents a great circle on said surface; and means including an array of surface wave reflective elements disposed in or on said touch surface of said substrate along said first path for directing wave components derived from said burst across said touch surface of said substrate in a progression of transverse paths intersecting said coordinate axis.
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2. In a touch control system for a cathode ray tube, display panel or other touch-controlled device which is capable of recognizing touch positions along a predetermined coordinate axis on a three dimensionally curved touch surface, the apparatus comprising:
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a substrate comprising a sector of a three dimensionally curved surface having a touch surface capable of propagating surface acoustic waves such that a touch on said surface causes a perturbation of a surface wave propagating through the region of the touch; input surface wave transducer means mechanically and acoustically coupled to said touch surface of said substrate and useful when excited for launching a burst of surface acoustic waves on said touch surface along a first path which represents a great circle on said surface; means including an array of surface wave reflective elements disposed in or on said touch surface of said substrate along said first path for directing wave components derived from said burst across said touch surface of said substrate in a progression of transverse paths intersecting said coordinate axis, the curvature of said first path relative to said axis creating propagation time differences between said wave components; and means for compensating for said propagation time differences.
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3. In a touch control system for a cathode ray tube, display panel or other touch-controlled device which is capable of recognizing touch positions along a predetermined coordinate axis on a three dimensionally curved touch surface, the apparatus comprising:
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a substrate comprising a sector of a three dimensionally curved surface having a touch surface capable of propagating surface acoustic waves such that a touch on said surfaces causes a perturbation of a surface wave propagating through the region of the touch; input surface wave transducer means mechanically and acoustically coupled to said touch surface of said substrate and useful when excited for launching a burst of surface acoustic waves on said touch surface along a first path which represents a great circle on said surface;
means including an array of surface wave reflective elements disposed in or on said touch surface of said substrate along said first path for directing wave components derived from said burst across said touch surface of said substrate in a progression of transverse paths intersecting said coordinate axis; andmeans for causing said wave components to exit said array so as to intersect said coordinate axis at substantially ninety degrees.
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4. In a touch control system for a cathode ray tube, display panel or other touch-controlled device which is capable of recognizing touch positions along a predetermined coordinate axis on a three dimensionally curved touch surface, the apparatus comprising:
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a substrate comprising a sector of a three dimensionally curved surface having a touch surface capable of propagating surface acoustic waves such that a touch on said surface causes a perturbation of a surface wave propagating through the region of the touch; input surface wave transducer means mechanically and acoustically coupled to said touch surface of said substrate and useful when excited for launching a burst of surface acoustic waves on said touch surface along a first path having a longitudinal axis which represents a great circle on said surface; means including an array of surface wave reflective elements disposed in or on said touch surface of said substrate along said first path for directing wave components derived from said burst across said touch surface of said substrate in a progression of transverse paths intersecting said coordinate axis; and means for causing said wave components to exit said array so as to intersect said coordinate axis at substantially ninety degrees, characterized by said array having non-parallel elements selectively individually angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the array such as to cause said wave components to have said substantial parallelism. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. In a touch control system for a cathode ray tube, display panel or other touch-controlled device which is capable of recognizing touch positions along a predetermined coordinate axis on a three dimensionally curved touch surface, the apparatus comprising:
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a substrate comprising a sector of a three dimensionally curved surface having a touch surface capable of propagating surface acoustic waves such that a touch on said surface causes a perturbation of a surface wave propagating through the region of the touch; input surface wave transducer means mechanically and acoustically coupled to said touch surface of said substrate and useful when excited for launching a burst of surface acoustic waves on said touch surface along a first path centered upon a great circle on said surface; means including an array of surface wave reflective elements disposed in or on said touch surface of said substrate along said first path for directing wave components derived from said burst across said touch surface of said substrate in a progression of transverse paths intersecting said coordinate axis, said array lying fully within said path and maintaining throughout its length a constant spacing from said coordinate axis so as to avoid the creation of propagation time differences between said wave components attributable to the non-parallelism between said first great circle path and said coordinate axis. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. In a touch control system for a cathode ray tube, display panel or other touch-control device which is capable of recognizing touch positions along a predetermined coordinate axis on a three dimensionally curved touch surface, the apparatus comprising:
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a substrate comprising a sector of three dimensionally curved surface having a touch surface capable of propagating surface acoustic waves such that a touch on said surface causes a perturbation of a surface wave propagating the through the region of the touch; input surface wave transducer means mechanically and acoustically coupled to said touch surface of said substrate and useful when excited for launching a burst of surface acoustic waves on said touch surface along a first path maintaining a constant spacing from said coordinate axis; and means including an array of surface wave reflective elements disposed in or on said touch surface of said substrate along said first path and configured and arranged to steer a burst of surface waves traveling through the array so as to remain therewithin until reflected, said reflective elements directing wave components derived from said burst across said touch surface of said substrate in a progression of paths disposed substantially transverse to said coordinate axis. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. For use with a cathode ray tube, display panel or other touch-control device, a system which is capable of recognizing touch positions along a predetermined coordinate axis on a touch surface of such tube, panel or device, said system comprising:
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a substrate comprising a sector of a three dimensionally curved surface having a touch surface capable of propagating surface acoustic waves such that a touch on said surface causes a perturbation of a surface wave propagating through the region of the touch; input surface wave transducer means mechanically and acoustically coupled to said touch surface of said substrate for launching a timed succession of surface acoustic wave bursts on said touch surface along a first path which represents a great circle on said surface; output surface wave transducer means mechanically and acoustically coupled to said touch surface of said substrate at the terminus of a second path, which also represents a great circle on said surface, for receiving components of said timed succession of surface wave bursts; means including a first array of surface wave reflective elements disposed in or on said touch surface of said substrate along said first path for directing wave components derived from said burst across said touch surface of said substrate in a progression of transverse paths intersecting said coordinate axis and respectively associated with different positions along said coordinate axis on said touch surface; means including a second array of surface wave reflective elements disposed in or on said touch surface of said substrate along said second path for intercepting said wave components traveling said transverse paths and for redirecting said intercepted components toward said output transducer; and circuit means coupled to said input and output transducer means for initiating said timed succession of surface wave bursts on said substrate surface and for detecting touch-induced perturbations of received wave burst components, said circuit means including means coupled to said output transducer means for developing an electrical amplitude characterization of said perturbation and for developing an output representing the timing of said characterization of said perturbation, and thus determining which of said transverse paths was traversed by a touch-perturbed wave component and thereby the location of the touch along said coordinate axis of said touch surface.
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12. For use with a cathode ray tube, display panel or other touch-controlled device, a system which is capable of recognizing touch positions along a predetermined coordinate axis on a touch surface of such tube, panel or device, said system comprising:
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a substrate comprising a sector of a three dimensionally curved surface having a touch surface capable of propagating surface acoustic waves such that a touch on said surface causes a perturbation of a surface wave propagating through the region of the touch; input surface wave transducer means mechanically and acoustically coupled to said touch surface of said substrate for launching a timed succession of surface acoustic wave bursts on said touch surface along a first path which represents a great circle on said surface; output surface wave transducer means mechanically and acoustically coupled to said touch surface of said substrate at the terminus of a second path, which also represents a great circle on said surface, for receiving components of said timed succession of surface wave bursts; means including a first array of surface wave reflective elements disposed in or on said touch surface of said substrate along said first path for directing wave components derived from said burst across said touch surface of said substrate in a progression of transverse paths intersecting said coordinate axis and respectively associated with different positions along said coordinate axis on said touch surface, the curvature of said first path relative to said coordinate axis creating propagation time differences between wave components; means including a second array of surface wave reflective elements disposed in or on said touch surface of said substrate along said second path for intercepting said wave components traveling said transverse paths and for redirecting said intercepted components toward said output transducer, the curvature of said second path relative to said coordinate axis also creating propagation time differences between said wave components; and circuit means coupled to said input and output transducer means for initiating said timed succession of surface wave bursts on said substrate surface and for detecting touch-induced perturbations of received wave burst components, said circuit means including means for compensating for said propagation time difference. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. For use with a cathode ray tube, display panel or other touch-controlled device, a system which capable of recognizing touch positions along a predetermined coordinate axis on a touch surface of such tube, panel or device, said system comprising:
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a substrate comprising a sector of a three dimensionally curved surface having a touch surface capable of propagating surface acoustic waves such that a touch on said surfaces causes a perturbation of a surface were propagating through the region of the touch; input surface wave transducer means mechanically and acoustically coupled to said touch surface of said substrate for launching a timed succession of surface acoustic wave bursts on said touch surface along a first path which represents a great circle on said surface; output surface wave transducer means mechanically and acoustically coupled to said touch surface of said substrate at the terminus of a second path, which also represents a great circle on said surface, for receiving components of said timed succession of surface wave bursts; means including a first array of surface wave reflective elements disposed in or on said touch surface of said substrate along said first path for directing wave components derived from said burst across said touch surface of said substrate in a progression of transverse paths intersecting said coordinate axis and respectively associated with different positions along said coordinate axis on said touch surface; means for causing said wave components to exit said first array so as to intersect said coordinate axis at substantially ninety degrees so that said first array is characterized by having non-parallel elements selectively individually angled relative to the longitudinal axis of said first array such as to cause said wave components to have substantial parallelism; means including a second array of surface wave reflective element disposed in or on said touch surface of said substrate along said second path for intercepting said wave components traveling said transverse paths and for redirecting said intercepted components toward said output transducer; means for causing said wave components to enter said second array after exiting said coordinate axis at substantially ninety degrees so that said second array is characterized by having non-parallel elements selectively individually angled relative to the longitudinal axis of said second array such as to cause said wave components to have substantial parallelism; circuit means coupled to said input and output transducer means for initiating said timed succession of surface wave bursts on said substrate surface and for detecting touch-induced perturbations of received wave burst components, said circuit means including means coupled to said output transducer means for developing an electrical amplitude characterization of said perturbation and for developing an output representing the timing of said characterization of said perturbation, and thus determining which of said transverse paths are traversed by a touch-perturbed wave component and thereby the location of the touch along said coordinate axis of said touch surface.
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16. For use with a cathode ray tube, display panel or other touch-controlled device, a system which is capable of recognizing touch positions along a predetermined coordinate axis on a touch surface of such tube, panel or device, said system comprising:
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a substrate comprising a sector of a three dimensionally curved surface having a touch surface capable of propagating surface acoustic waves such that a touch on said surface causes a perturbation of a surface wave propagating through the region of the touch; input surface wave transducer means mechanically and acoustically coupled to said touch surface of said substrate for launching a timed succession of surface acoustic wave bursts on said touch surface along a first path centered upon a great circle on said surface; output surface wave transducer means mechanically and acoustically coupled to said touch surface of said substrate at the terminus of a second path, which also represents a great circle on said surface, for receiving components of said timed succession of surface wave bursts; means including a first array of surface wave reflective elements disposed in or on said touch surface of said substrate along said first path for directing wave components derived from said burst across said touch surface of said substrate in a progression of transverse paths intersecting said coordinate axis and respectively associated with different positions along said coordinate axis on said touch surface said array lying fully within said first path and maintaining throughout its length a constant spacing from said coordinate axis so as to avoid differences between said wave components attributable to the non-parallelism between said first great circle path and said coordinate axis; means including a second array of surface wave reflective elements disposed in or on said touch surface of said substrate along said second path for intercepting said wave components traveling said transverse paths and for redirecting said intercepted components toward said output transducer, said second array being substantially a mirror structural image of said first array; and circuit means coupled to said input and output transducer means for initiating said timed succession for surface wave bursts on said substrate surface and for detecting touch-induced perturbations of received wave burst components; said circuit means including means coupled to said output transducer means for developing an electrical amplitude characterization of said perturbation and for developing an output representing the timing of said characterization of said perturbation, and thus determining which of said transverse paths are traversed by a touch-perturbed wave component and thereby the location of the touch along said coordinate axis of said touch surface.
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17. For use with a cathode ray tube, display panel or other touch-controlled device, a system which is capable of recognizing touch positions along a predetermined coordinate axis on a touch surface of such tube, panel or device, said system comprising:
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a substrate comprising a sector of a three dimensionally curved surface having a touch surface capable of propagating surface acoustic waves such that a touch on said surface causes a perturbation of a surface wave propagating through the region of the touch; input surface wave transducer means mechanically and acoustically coupled to said touch surface of said substrate for launching a timed succession of surface acoustic wave bursts on said touch surface along a first path maintaining a constant spacing from said coordinate axis; output surface wave transducer means mechanically and acoustically coupled to said touch surface of said substrate at the terminus of a second path, which also extends in the general direction of said coordinate axis, for receiving components of said timed succession of surface wave bursts; means including a first array of surface wave reflective elements disposed in or on said touch surface of said substrate along said first path and configured and arranged to steer a burst of surface waves traveling through said first array so as to remain therewithin until reflected, so that wave components derived from said burst are directed across said touch surface of said substrate in a progression of transverse paths intersecting said coordinate axis and respectively associated with different positions along said coordinate axis on said touch surface; means including a second array of surface wave reflective elements disposed in or on said touch surface of said substrate along said second path and configured and arranged to assure interception of said wave components traveling said transverse paths and for redirecting said intercepted components toward said output transducer; and circuit means coupled to said input and output transduce means for initiating said timed succession of surface wave bursts on said substrate surface and for detecting touch-induced peturbations of received wave burst components, said circuit means including means coupled to said output transducer mean for developing an electrical amplitude characterization of said perturbation and for developing an output representing the timing of said characterization of said perturbation, and thus determining which of said transverse paths was traversed by a touch-perturbed wave component and thereby the location of the touch along said coordinate axis of said touch surface.
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Specification